Love Begins With a Seed
by leonsalanna
Summary: Tony commits himself to raising a child when a friend becomes pregnant. When Gibbs finds out, he offers his help in preparing for the new arrival. With emotions running high, close becomes closer, then friendship and admiration take on a different life.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Love Begins With a Seed  
Author: leonsalanna

Disclaimer: Angie is my own creation, but the rest of the characters are a product of Bellisarius.

Ship: Dinozzo/Gibbs (SLASH!)

Summary: Tony commits himself to raising a child when a friend becomes pregnant. When Gibbs finds out, he offers his help in preparing for the new arrival. With emotions running high, close becomes closer, then friendship and admiration take on a different life entirely.

Notes: I wrote this whole story in my head a while ago, so I'm slowly committing it to the keyboard as I go along. This is starting with Tony and Angie, but I'm not a fan of OCs. Therefore, after the second chapter, we won't be having much of her. There'll still be a little, as she's integral to the plot, but I'm keeping it mostly between Tony and Gibbs. With the team thrown in there.

* * *

*Ring ring*

*Ring ring*

Tony flew from Ziva's desk, where he had been distracting her from her report-writing and answered the cell phone vibrating on his desk. "Speeeecial Agent Dinozzo, how can I help you?" he enthused, throwing a grin Ziva's way.

"Tony? It's Angie."

"Hey hey! Where are you these days?" Tony's face lit up as he recognized the name and voice of his college girlfriend/best friend.

"Coincidentally enough, I'm in DC for an interview. Can you spare tonight for some drinks?"

"Definitely! When?"

"I was thinking nine?"

"Nine it is. See you then!"

Dinozzo hung up with a huge grin on his face. "You have a date tonight Tony?" Ziva asked.

"You could say that" was her only reply as Tony threw himself into his work to get done early.

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At 8:58, Tony was standing in front of a hotel door, carrying a bottle of wine. He knocked twice and waited for the door to open. When it did, the small light-haired woman at the door squealed his name and threw her arms around him. He laughed and pried her arms from their death grip. "Easy there, Ang, we're not in college anymore." She took the wine and motioned him inside.

An hour later, they were sitting on the floor, laughing at some college recollection. With Tony's back against the wall and Angie's against the bed, the half-empty bottle of wine stood next to an unopened one between them.

An hour later, they were much more solemn, telling each other the conditions of their respective lives. Angie, upon being asked about the interview, told Tony she had been laid off and was finding the job search unfruitful. She was worried about rent.

"I'm really sorry," Tony said, squeezing her hand. "But money doesn't solve all troubles. My job is comfortable, when I'm not getting shot, framed, or sick from bubonic plague." He gave a dry chuckle and took another swig from his glass. "I just…I'm still two Tonys, you know? Everyone expects me to be goofy and fresh from the fraternity and I play along. But sometimes they act as if there isn't another me that might actually care and have genuine emotion. I think sometimes my boss sees it, but he keeps me down like everyone else." The next sip from his glass was angry and rough.

"Tell me about the people you work with," Angie demanded, trying to steer Tony away from the self-pity he often found himself mired in.

"Well- there's Gibbs, my boss. I swear he was _born_ a Marine. Hard on everyone's asses but still takes care of us. When he thinks we need it, anyway. There's Ziva, an agent from the Israeli Mossad. She's drives like a maniac and is often good at being the pretty, sympathetic ear when we need one."

"Have you and her ever…" Angie trailed off and waggled her eyebrows.

"No," he said quickly. "I'd be way too scared. She's a trained interrogator and could kill me with her bare hands"

"So who have you been with? Young, blond, big jugs, adoring and following you everywhere?"

Tony groaned. "I don't want them like that. I want someone…sharp. Bright. Keeps me on my toes. I want someone who challenges me, not just someone I can take to bed whenever I want."

"When was the last time you got laid, Dinozzo?"

"…Three months, maybe? I don't want to sound sappy but I'm lonely. It would be too hard on me to pick up a girl in a bar, since I know she doesn't care a bit about me. I…I want someone I know and trust."

"Do you trust me? I hardly trust anyone anymore but…I know you. I know what's behind that little façade of yours. So maybe we can help each other in our loneliness."

Tony gave a short, rueful laugh. "Misery loves company."

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With the last drops in the glasses finished off, the two people stood facing each other. Clothes began to fall around them as they fell into bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Gee, I'd forgotten how giddy I get when people like what I write. Thanks to those who reviewed! This is the last chapter with Angie as a main focus (at least for a while) which makes me happy. Gibbs is in the next chapter, so let the fun begin

* * *

*Ring ring*

*Ring ring*

This time, Tony was actually working at his desk when the phone rang. "This IS Tony Dinozzo; how can I make your life better today?"

"Tony? It's Angie again."

Although it had been only two months (and then some) since he had seen his friend last, Tony was delighted to hear from her. "Hey, how's it going?"

"Um...well, I'm in DC again. Can we do dinner tonight or do you have plans?"

"Even if I had plans, dear lady, I would surely clear them for you. I know a great place with Mediterranean food, shall I pick you up? Where are you staying?"

"Yeah…that sounds fine. Say 7:00? I'm staying at the same place as last time."

Tony was happy to hear again from Angie, but something was off. She wasn't as excited as last time and she sounded almost…nervous. He wasn't sure why. Even after the night they spent together, they hugged and laughed it off in the morning. They knew without a word being spoken that it had been two lonely people wanting comfort. If it wasn't that, was she maybe falling harder on times? It didn't matter; they'd sort it out over dinner.

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When Tony saw Angie exit the hotel he ran to open the car door for her, with a gallant bow. She giggled and sat inside. They sped off to the restaurant Tony put the reservation in at, as he regaled her with stories from the latest case. They sat down to dinner and ordered, still on mundane subjects. Angie seemed fine, although a little anxious. When she finished her meal and placed her fork on the plate, Tony followed suit and then leaned forward over the table.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, Ang? You're fidgety."

She took a deep breath, composing herself. What's so important, Tony wondered. "Okay well…God, I have no clue how to say this. I'm pregnant. Just over two months. It's from the night in the hotel."

Whatever Tony was expecting, this was definitely not it. He gave a disbelieving chuckle and then- "What?" He sat, shell shocked, as her words assaulted his ears. Too drunk to remember protection (why hadn't he thought of that before?)- missed period- vomiting- doctor visit- pregnant- no one else.

"So you see Tony, I don't have a job. Unemployment checks are paying for my apartment. I can't, won't abort it. I guess adoption would be the answer, but I don't want to do that to a child…"

Tony swallowed. "Shit, Angie, I'm so sorry. It's my fault I should have…well, too late now. You know I'll look out for you and take care of you any way I can." Can he get the words out? His tongue feels thick, his brain feels heavy. "That being said, I will also take care of anyone of my blood. Any way I can."

"Tony…"

"I have enough from NCIS and I can work out someone to watch him (or her). I'll be the father I never had to it. The kid room, the stroller, the clothes, I can take care of that. I don't know how this all works, but it will work out."

Angie's eyes filled and her shoulders began to shake. Tony led her onto the patio of the restaurant, since it was still too cold for outside diners, and held her as she cried into his shoulder. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but more than a few tears rolled down his cheeks as well. Once she recovered (and Tony wiped his sleeve across his face), he led her inside and back to their table. Adopting his normal, goofy Tony attitude, he started rambling "Remember when you found that ugly stray cat on the street and wanted to keep it, but your landlord said no pets and I took it in? It'll be just like that, it'll all work out! Except babies don't use litter boxes. Though perhaps I could train my kid.…Babies also don't have claws to scratch me. Hey, that scratch drew blood!"

Angie gave a watery giggle, which turned into a good long laugh as Tony kept regaling her with stories about the ugly cat, which he had named Spartacus for no reason known to her. After they left the restaurant, Tony drove Angie back to the hotel and they sat with the car idling out front.

"Are you sure about this? I mean we have seven months, or something, so arrangements can be made in any direction…No? You're sure?" She gave him a long, hard hug. "I always thought you'd be a good dad. Your kid will be Siskel or Ebert Junior."

"With your beautiful looks, of course. Though I must insist on our baby being a through and through Italian."

After discussing doctor's visits and ultrasounds and cravings and weight gain, they parted ways. Each had a lot to think about, about the next seven months and beyond.


	3. Chapter 3

Just a note so people aren't confused later on. This is before Hiatus, so no one knows about Shannon and Kelly yet. Keep reviewing, and feel free to message me with questions.

* * *

Two months later, Tony was at his desk, just hanging up from ordering some information on a murdered Petty Officer. He finished what Gibbs had wanted him to do and couldn't think of any info that McGee or Ziva hadn't covered. His eyes darted toward the backpack on the ground next to his desk, which held the baby books he had been studying. He was tempted to read them now, rather than at the coffee place he had planned on, but did not want to get caught by the team. 'Dinozzo reading baby books? Which one-night stand had he knocked up this time?' they'd think.

Just at that moment, McGee rounded the corner and tripped, stumbling into and upending the backpack. Books and papers fell out onto the floor around. "Geez Tony, I'm sorry, I tripped…" McGee began babbling apologies and he and Ziva, who had been behind him, began gathering up the papers.

"No you don't have to-"

" 'Your Baby's First Year'? 'Baby 4-1-1'? Why are you reading baby books, Tony? Something you're not telling us?" Ziva started teasing him, a little confused.

"Yeah, why our Petty Officer was killed, Agent David. Dinozzo, report."

'Saved by the Gibbs' Tony thought, as he started reciting the information he had learned about the dead sailor. When he finished he added, "And just for your information, Zee-vah, my young, cute and single neighbor" *wink* "is a nurse on night duty. She's pregnant and I offered to watch the kid when she's at work."

"Thank you for that valuable piece of information, Agent Dinozzo. I'm sure Petty Officer Stearns would be elated to hear that we're so close to solving her murder," Gibbs stated sarcastically, cutting off any reply Ziva might have had. His sarcasm, though well earned by the interruption, did not mean that the sharp edge behind Tony's voice slipped past him, though everyone else missed it.

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Though Gibbs let it slip that time, he watched Tony a little closer. One day, a month later, Gibbs was sanding the boat on a Friday night while he began a list in his head:

_Spending more time at work_

_Less immature. Usually._

Gibbs smiled wryly at this one, thinking of his Senior Field Agent's antics.

_Travels for doctor's appointments _

_Has books on baby care_

_Doesn't like questions about said books_

The sander stilled under the Marine's hands. It was hard to believe it of Tony, but the famous gut was saying one thing- Tony was expecting a baby. The sander was left on a workbench as Gibbs grabbed a jacket and his keys, not bothering to change from his work clothes. If he was right in his belief in Tony's responsibility, he would be home tonight, rather than at a bar.

Sure enough, when Gibbs pulled up to Tony's apartment building, the light for his apartment was on. Three minutes later, he was banging on Tony's door. He heard the feet approaching, the stop and hesitation, and then the door opened. Tony raised his eyebrows, obviously surprised at seeing his boss at his door at ten o'clock on a Friday night.

"That bored, Gibbs?"

"Funny, Dinozzo."

"How did you know I wouldn't have a lady friend over?" Tony challenged, his eyes clouding.

"You gonna let me in or should we talk across your doorstep?"

Tony opened the door wider and Gibbs followed him inside. Off to the left was Tony's living room- a big screen TV surrounded by racks upon racks of movies. In front of him was the kitchen, which they proceeded into. "Want a beer, boss?" Gibbs shook his head and turned, looking down a hallway. One open door clearly was the bathroom; the closed one was probably Tony's bedroom. And at the end of the hall—

Gibbs strode toward the open door at the end and stood inside. A decrepit crib stood against the wall, bleak in its peeling white paint. A small blanket was thrown over the side, but other than that there were no cushions lining the inside. A sports mobile circled over the crib as a breeze caught it. A changing table was against the wall opposite. Other than that, the room was bleak and unpainted. "Gibbs…" Tony complained from in the hall. Gibbs turned and looked at him, then followed as Tony wordlessly walked back to the living room.

"You want to tell me what this is about, Tony? And why you didn't say anything?"

"Okay…now that the cat's out of the bag. About four months ago, a friend from college was in town. We were both drunk and lonely, and it- it made sense. We felt okay in the morning and we never thought about the fact that we hadn't used protection. I'm always very careful about it; I shouldn't have slipped! I don't know how it happened like this, but she came to me two months later and said she was pregnant. She can't find a job, is barely making rent, and has no one else. She wouldn't get rid of it and I couldn't let a kid of my responsibility get put up for adoption. So I told her I'd take the baby once it's born. I've been traveling to take care of her, bring her to the doctor's appointments. I'm gonna have to be a dad and I need to be--"

They sat for a bit, not saying anything, until Gibbs broke the silence and said, "Does that offer of beer still stand?"

They were back sitting on the couch, nursing their beers. Neither had said much, but Tony's face spoke volumes. Gibbs placed the beer on the table and put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Hey Dinozzo." Tony looked up at him, giving the rug a reprieve from the hole his eyes were burning through it. "What've I always told you?" The lost expression turned into one of confusion. "I've always got your six." Tony's face cleared into a smile at that and so Gibbs pressed on. "I can help you out; you don't have to be dealing with this alone."


	4. Chapter 4

Tony and Gibbs stood in the empty room, looking around and trying to picture what it should look like. "So what do I do now, Boss?"

"First you get rid of that piece of junk crib. It's likely to fall apart any day now. Second, boy or girl?"

"I got the crib from my landlady," Tony admitted sheepishly. "And I don't know what it'll be, that appointment is in two weeks."

Gibbs gazed at the changing table, thinking. He meant it when he said he'd always have Tony's six and he damn well wasn't going to leave his Senior Agent to fend for himself. He's likely to buy everything the baby books and Oprah tell him to. And yet…he knew it would be hard. Even right now, it was too easy to picture Kelly's first room and see her, a bouncing baby in the little blue crib in the corner. He squeezed his eyes shut for a minute, then retreated to the kitchen to grab another beer.

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So two weeks later, Gibbs was adding a beam to his boat on a Sunday afternoon when the phone rang. "Gibbs."

"It's gonna be a girl, Boss. I saw the ultrasound and they say it's gonna be a girl." Gibbs heard a lot of repressed emotion in Tony's voice: excitement, relief, and a little touch of disappointment. Before Gibbs could say anything, he heard a woman's voice and Tony excused himself to go.

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That Thursday after work, Tony rubbed his eyes as he got on the elevator. All he wanted to do now was go home and— "Going anywhere, Dinozzo?"

Tony sighed. Just when he thought he'd made it. "Where ever you tell me to go, Boss."

"Good. Meet me at the Sherwin Williams on 3rd Street."

Tony stared at his boss, who had just pressed the first floor button on the elevator. He ws still staring when the doors opened onto the lobby. Gibbs walked away without looking at the younger man, so Tony jumped when the voice floated back "The back of my head too interesting, or are you coming?"

"On your six, Boss!"

Tony walked up to the store, scouring the sidewalk with his eyes for Gibbs. Tony had felt sick just following the car, so he had let Gibbs speed on ahead. He walked in and when he caught a glimpse of silver hair disappearing down an aisle, he jogged to catch up. He stopped short upon being faced with row upon row, from floor to ceiling, of paint swatches. What did this have to do with anything?

"I don't expect you want much pink in your house, so what color are you going to paint her walls?" Tony gaped at the man smirking behind him. "Catching flies, now? That's not gonna get anything done."

Used to responding to Gibbs, Tony's mouth snapped shut and he turned to face the wall of colors. "I guess a light purple could maybe work…I like blue but that's the guy color. Green would be too bright, I think, even a pale one. And you're right about the pink, I am not having a pink room in my apartment. Purple is close, but still not as girly." He moved down the aisle, his eyes glancing over the different hues. "How's this one look?" he asked, showing Gibbs a color called "Lilac Haze". Gibbs' only answer was to ruffle Tony's hair, letting the short strands filter through his fingers.

Tony had been surprised when Gibbs dragged him to go get paint and painting supplies. He was even more surprised when he showed up Saturday morning armed with his coffee (the smell of which made Tony think the cup might soon disintegrate) and a cappuccino just the way Tony likes it and wearing clothes for painting. "I really shouldn't be surprised by you anymore," Tony said, heaving a theatrical sigh.

"The day I don't surprise you guys is the day I retire, Dinozzo. Ready to work?"

The changing table was moved out of the room, being the last piece left since Tony returned the crib to his neighbor. "I really need to get a crib soon," he said, eyeing the bare room.

"Leave that to me, Dinozzo, I know a good place to get one. You can get the pad and covers, though."

The two men laid out drop cloths and got to work. Tony disappeared at some point and when he came back, Thelonius Monk was playing somewhere in the apartment. Half an hour later, the doorbell rang and pizza was delivered for a lunch break. Tony and Gibbs spent the day in companionable silence, Tony occasionally cracking jokes about himself and the rest of the team. Gibbs was busy rolling paint onto the walls when Tony called, "Hey Boss!" Gibbs turned to see Tony grinning at him, "Lilac Haze" war stripes painted under his eyes. Gibbs allowed himself to chuckle out loud and lean over to give a quick swat to the back of the head.

Gibbs wasn't really sure why it was, but he liked seeing when Tony was like this. He had the pure, unadulterated joy of being like a kid, especially when he wasn't using it to cover anything else up. His smile lit up the young face, highlighting the corners of his mouth and the shining eyes. Happiness of this type wasn't one Gibbs saw around much and it always lifted his heart. He explained it away to being unused to the emotion, but he couldn't deny that Tony was the one usually bringing it out in him. And when this happened, Gibbs wanted to protect Tony from the world. It's silly, he thought to himself. Dinozzo is a grown man and doesn't need protecting. But Gibbs also couldn't bring himself to think of Tony like a child. On the contrary…

"I hope you didn't have paint on that hand; I don't know how paint washes out of hair. Unless you think this would be a good color on me…" Tony mused, staring at the paint. He risked a quick glance over to see Gibbs laugh and resume rolling, a small smile on his face. Tony liked that Gibbs was smiling. That he had made Gibbs smile. The normally tough Marine looked open, not at all as closed off as he usually appeared. Tony had been studying his boss over the time of their association and sometimes noticed a sad, faraway look in the blue eyes. He looked genuinely amused now and Tony allowed his eyes to leave the face. The silver hair was rather spiky and unkempt today. His short sleeves rode up his shoulder as his arm moved up and down with the roller. _When does Gibbs work out? I rarely see him at the gym, but look at those arm muscles._ A glance at his chest, the slightly damp shirt stretched over it, told Tony his arms weren't the only muscled spot on the Marine. All of a sudden, Tony blushed and looked away. He did not want to be caught staring at his boss, much less checking out his muscles. From jealousy, of course.

When the first coat was done, Tony grabbed two root beers, tossing one to Gibbs and popping open the second. He tried to wash off the paint stripes under his eyes, but found the paint rather stubborn. That would be a problem when he returned to work. Anyway, he walked into the living room and found Gibbs sitting on the coach with a football game on. Tony sat beside him and Gibbs spared one glance before turning back to the TV.

"I imagine you'll tell Abby at some point? She'll be angry it took you this long. Ducky? McGee and Ziva? Are they going to find out only when you take a paternity leave? Or when you come in carrying your daughter? I trust you've talked to the director." Gibbs had been wondering this for a while, seeing Tony and Abby still so chummy, despite the weight of a secret only one of them knew.

"I have talked to the director; she said I can get two months leave. After that I should be able to find someone to watch her when I'm at work. Abby-- I really should tell her soon. But she'll…fuss. She definitely will be the favorite aunt, I know that for sure. I guess maybe I'll see if I can invite her over for dinner tomorrow. And swear her to secrecy. Ducky I'll tell next. Sometime this week, I know he'll be really understanding. McGeek and Ziva, McGeek and Ziva. I'll tell them when I tell them." And he left it at that, standing up to work on the second coat of the much happier-looking baby's room.


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter's a little shorter than the others, but I wanted to tuck it in. Deviates from the Gibbs/Tony stuff mostly but I PROMISE the next chapter should make everyone happy (though maybe a little worried at the end). See you again next week!

* * *

*Ring ring*

*Ring ring*

"TONY!! What's up?" Abby squealed into her phone.

"Whatcha doing, Abbs? Got any plans for tonight?"

"Nope! Bowling was last night and I did all my laundry earlier today. Why, do you have plans for us?"

Tony grinned, knowing that even if she wanted to, Abby would not be able to turn down his proposal. "Well, _La Chocolaterie_ has a new addition to the menu- Devil's Straight to Hell Delight. Devil's food cake with chopped maraschino cherries, and when you scoop off a bit of the cake, chocolate syrup comes oozing out while the rest of the filling is chocolate mousse…"

"Say no more, Tony! When are you picking me up?"

At the chocolate shop, Abby was digging in to her dessert, acting like a kid in a candy store. "So Abbs…"

"Mmm?" was the only reply he got through a full mouth.

"What kind of dad would you think I'd be?"

He waited for Abby to swallow and she immediately launched into an explanation. "Well if it's a son, he'd do nothing but sit around and watch movies and football. He'd probably beat you at all your video games and trivia by age 7. If it's a girl, you'd probably end up spoiling her rotten and once she's a teenager, you'd definitely be the wacky dad to be embarrassed of. Just for the record, why?"

"Because in four months or so, I will be one."

He couldn't have prepared for Abby's shriek of delight and the huge tackle-hug she gave me when she leaped up from the table. "TONY!! What? How? Who? When? And why didn't you tell me five months ago? I have to start shopping! For her. Or him. I suppose I should wait a little for studs and chains. Do they make NCIS baby clothes? Can I be his or her Aunt Abby? Who's the mom?"

Tony laughed at Abby's exuberance. "Slow down; one question at a time. The mom is a very good friend of mine. We dated in college, but decided we worked better as friends. In other words, we drove each other nuts. Anyway, she was in town and we were having a pity contest, complete with wine. In the end… and two months later she invites me to dinner and tells me. The thing is, she's in some financial troubles, so I said I'd raise the kid. A girl, by the way. And no, we don't have a name for her.

"Wow…omigod, have you told Gibbs yet? Or the director? What'll Gibbs say?"

"Don't worry, I talked to both of them. Actually, Gibbs figured it out and came to talk to me. He's actually been helping me prepare for a while…but listen, Ducky, McGee, and Ziva don't know yet, so don't say anything. I'm telling Ducky this week and I don't know about Probie and Ziva."

"You got it, Tony-bear. Oh my God, she's gonna be SO cute!"

They continued with dessert, Abby insisting on feeding some to Tony. Tony laughed and ate the cake off of her fork because it was easy to be like this with Abby. Unlike McGee, who always remembered Abby as his girlfriend, Tony always considered the goth like a little sister and their flirting was always in just a teasing way. Even if she hadn't been like a sister, Tony knew he wouldn't go for her now. Something inside told him that something else was out there and just hadn't shown itself to him yet.

When Abby finished off the cake (that girl could certainly eat), they went out to a new club. As Tony pointed out, he wouldn't be able to for much longer.

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Meanwhile, Gibbs sat at home in his basement, as usual. Not like usual, however, he held in his hand a picture of a little girl with long red hair and a beautiful gap-toothed smile looking at the camera. He then placed it back in the drawer it came from and took a shot of bourbon. He smiled and looked to his latest project, the boat lying forgotten with a tarp over it.


	6. Chapter 6

Tony was surprised, but happy, that Gibbs so kept the promise of help. Whenever Tony went to the store to be blankets, clothes, furniture, safety features, Gibbs was there. He was offering suggestions, striking down unnecessary things recommended by overeager sales people, and reminding him of the little items that are easy to overlook. "How do you know so much about this all?" Tony asked him once, but received no reply. He though he saw Gibbs' mouth go a little hard, but dismissed it as unimportant when distracted by the baby hat for his favorite football team.

One day, he was looking through racks and racks of baby clothes, picking up a cute blanket here or there. Gibbs was hovering over his shoulder, always right there but looking at something else. A saleswoman, plump and matronly with hair piled high on her head, came over, smiling at them. "A new addition to the family coming along?" she asked Tony.

"My first," he said, adding 'and hopefully only' in his head.

"Congratulations," she enthused. "And you are his father?" she asked Gibbs, who had turned to hear the conversation.

Normally Tony would laugh it up, call Gibbs 'Papa' or something to that extent, but something was off today. "No," he snapped forcefully, turning away from the woman as her smile faded. She looked at Gibbs, bewildered.

"Coworkers," he clarified. "And don't mind Tony, he's just got a lot on his plate." He waited, to let Tony compose himself, but he wondered what exactly happened. Some misplaced anxieties about his actual father, perhaps? Yet he had never seen Tony act like that about the topic of fathers- like a skittish young colt. Gibbs had ridden horses before, he knew how to calm the horse down and bring it back in control. When he saw Tony's back a few rows over, he walked over, resting hand on his shoulder and then withdrawing it as the startled man spun around. "What happened there, Dinozzo?" Tony kept his eyes down, pretending to resume perusing the clothes choices. After his efforts to turn Gibbs away proved futile, he steeled himself and met the blue gaze.

Tony knew he would never be able to explain it. He had seen Gibbs turn that gaze onto others, right before they folded. It was too intense to hold; Tony felt as if his soul was being pierced by the sheer force. And yet he could almost see latent emotions there: confusion, worry… and hope? No, that one was dismissed immediately. He also dismissed the notion that something in those blue eyes excited him.

Striving for a nonchalant tone, he shrugged. "I dunno, Boss, sorry about that. Tired of fussy, prying sales people maybe. At least I'm not the pregnant woman having her stomach touched all the time." Gibbs let the topic drop, although he knew something else was wrong.

He let it wait the short time they remained in the store and as they left empty handed. He waited the car ride to Tony's apartment and as they ate a quiet meal of chicken parmesan. However, he followed Tony into the kitchen when he went to go clean up. The smaller man almost fell back against the counter when he turned from the sink to find Leroy Jethro Gibbs in his face.

"What happened at the store, Tony?" Tony blinked. Had Gibbs really just said his actual name? It was a nice shock, not hearing the impersonal 'Dinozzo' from his boss.

"I really don't know," Tony said with much less conviction. Their faces were so close, he could almost—

His lips, almost touching Gibbs' before, now made contact, pressing softly against the dry lips opposite. 'Oh God, what am I doing?' he wondered, but the touch was too sensational to back away from. In the end, it wasn't he who backed away. Gibbs stepped back physically. He, the suave agent always with something to say, simply whispered "I'm sorry" and left.

Tony slid his back down the cabinet he had been up against. He just screwed up a good relationship with his boss for what? A simple moment of delusion. Gibbs had been so close and he had fallen forward a little and… and he had to stop making excuses. Since he had started noticing Gibbs he wondered what it would be like to kiss a Marine. And he just did. Said Marine had been a lot more timid than expected, but perhaps he had been caught off guard. Or maybe, Tony thought bitterly, he just hadn't wanted to kiss a guy. If a man was gay, he wouldn't get married three times. He moaned and put his head in his hands.


	7. Chapter 7

Maybe if Tony wasn't looking so hard, it wouldn't seem like Gibbs was acting any differently. He acted the same as he always had at work- maybe. Perhaps Tony didn't get as many head slaps. Perhaps he immersed himself into the cases a little more (and who knew that was possible?). Perhaps he was sending Tony from the office and asking McGee and Ziva for reports more. But would any of this have stood out if Tony wasn't scrutinizing his boss for signs of avoidance?

It was almost funny that Gibbs at the same time was noticing a similar constraint. Perhaps Tony was volunteering for more assignments off base. Perhaps he was a little quieter around him. Perhaps he spent more time with Abby and Ducky. Perhaps he was bugging McGee and Ziva a little more. But the question was—why? Did Tony feel awkward about Gibbs having left? Or did he regret the kiss in the first place?

Gibbs didn't even want to consider the why himself. Why did he step away? Because he's straight and hadn't wanted to kiss another man? Sitting along on his couch a week later, his familiar bottle of Johnny Walker beside him, he admitted that might not be the reason. Sure Gibbs had been married four times and sure he had been very attached to Jenny at one time. Lately, however, he had been looking at the younger agent in a different light- a light that seemed to make his hair shine a little more and shadowed his eyes a more intense green and made every move of his hands or his body a little more graceful and surprising. A surprise, he called the kiss, but he had not called it unpleasant or weird. Shaking his head to clear it and taking another swig from the bottle, he left the couch to go lay down in bed. Once there, he fell into a deep sleep, helped along by the alcohol. He later tried to blame the alcohol on the dream that followed.

_He and Dinozzo were sitting on his back porch, watching the backyard. A child ran around, kicking a soccer ball. Gibbs reached up to rub the back of Tony's stiff neck when the girl ran up to him. "Daddy, did you see me?" Something was wrong; he was looking into Kelly's face. "Jethro, who is this? This is not our daughter!" Gibbs felt the muscles in the neck tense and slide away as Tony leaned away from Gibbs and his daughter. "What happened to my daughter? I do not want a replacement!" Gibbs was still looking at Kelly's blue eyes when he heard the screen door slam shut._

Gibbs woke with a start. What the hell? He staggered into the bathroom to take two ibuprofens and down them with a glass of cold water. Looking into the mirror, he also splashed his face to wash the sweat off of it. He patted his face dry and laid back down in his bed. This time, he knew sleep would not come easily. He glanced at the clock- 3:56. A small, low groan escaped his lips. His first wife after Shannon was very superstitious and often consulted dream-readers and fortune-tellers. She always told him that dreams may be a product of your imagination, but are always based on a subconscious feeling or anxiety.

Tony. That's who the dream had been about. Tony and Kelly, existing together? Perhaps it was that discontinuity that the small voice had been whispering about when Tony kissed him. Gibbs admitted to himself that for the first few seconds, he enjoyed feeling lips on his, lips firmer than he was used to. He also admitted that he felt a little guilty about getting into a relationship with Tony while Tony did not know that Gibbs had had a daughter before. He had avoided having kids with this other wives because he already regretted giving them pieces of himself. He would have regretted it even more if there had been a child who would have to measure up to Kelly. Even his wives were always being compared to Shannon, though he tried not to think of her. With Tony, however, came his daughter. Who knows, maybe she'd be a red head or have blue eyes. Gibbs would suffer in silence about spending so much time with a baby, toddler, young girl and it not being Kelly. Was it worth that? He enjoyed the times when a child had to stay with the team, like when they were trying to find Zach's father. In fact, he sanded the boat with young Zach just as he had done with Kelly. He had compared them then and his heart had hurt. On the other hand there was Tony.

Gibbs rolled onto his side, uncomfortable and too awake for the time of night. Once as comfortable as he could be, he returned to his train of thought which might as well have been a train for the connected images rolling through his head. A careless smile from an officer in Baltimore. A cocky swagger. A pale face with blue lips lying under harsh lights. A new agent hanging on Gibbs' every word and trying not to show it. Paper airplanes soaring through the bullpen towards McGee. A worn down man in an orange jumpsuit. The eager face ready on his first day back from sick leave. A blood-spattered face in shock on a roof. A hunched back having retreated from an empty baby room. Thin fingers grazing the fabrics of baby blankets. Green eyes boring into blue as they came nearer and nearer…

He jumped from the bed and spent the rest of his night throwing all his energy into the woodwork in the basement.

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On Sunday afternoon, Gibbs sat in a Georgetown bar, having downed two stiff shots to ease his courage along. Thus fortified, he drove to Tony's apartment and knocked upon reaching his door. Tony opened it. "Boss?" he asked, confused at seeing Gibbs there. Right now Gibbs was the last person he expected to find on his doorstep. Well, last after Jane Fonda and Tom Selleck.

"Yeah, Dinozzo, it's me. Can I come in or am I stuck in the hallway again?"

Tony looked very uncertain and awkward as he looked everywhere but at his face and began babbling. "Well the case is closed and you would have called if you needed anything. No places for shopping are open and I don't know why else you'd be here. I'm sorry about that night; forget it ever happened. I was lonely or something and took it out on you; didn't mean anything by it."

Gibbs heart seemed to sink and his fortitude was a little bit more daunted. The hurt in Tony's eyes seemed to say something different from his words, so Gibbs used that to press on. "Do you want to know why I stopped kissing you, Tony?"


	8. Chapter 8

I'm working on Chapter 11 right now because I like to be ahead of the curve all the time. Um…any tips on child raising would be appreciated, such as at what ages different things happen, what goes on the first few weeks, how long babies stay in the hospital…

Other than that, enjoy this chapter (just not too much because it's sad ). It's a little shorter than usual, but it makes up for that in angst.

* * *

"_Do you want to know why I stopped kissing you, Tony?"_

Tony stood at the door still, his eyes sparkling in much confusion. This was not at all the conversation he had thought would eventually come up between them. "Yeah…um…shit. Want to come in and sit down?"

Gibbs followed Tony into the TV room, but whereas Gibbs sat on the couch, Tony sat in the chair facing the couch. _I should have had a little more to drink_, Gibbs thought before steeling himself to speak: "Don't say anything once I begin speaking; this will be hard enough on its own. I can't remember the last time I told this to anyone, if I ever did." Tony's head was cocked to one side.

"I got married in 1982 to Shannon." It was not a name Tony recognized in the list of ex-wives. "In '84 we had a daughter- Kelly." Gibbs dared not look at the shocked expression on the young face before him; he remained staring at a fixed spot on the wall. "She was beautiful- red hair and blue eyes and always happy. She always loved working on the boats with me. When she was about seven, I left for a tour in Kuwait. I can even remember kissing them good-bye," he said, in a wondering tone.

"While I was gone, Shannon witnessed the shooting of a Marine. She agreed to testify and her and our daughter were assigned an agent to watch out for them." Tony began to feel a little sick. "One day, a dirtbag shot the agent who was driving our car. Shannon and Kelly…." A long moment of silence ensued. "My wife and daughter died in the crash." A strangled gasp escaped Tony's mouth but no more. He had promised and the sweat and brightness of Gibbs' eyes told him that any distraction would surely screw this up. He hadn't even noticed Gibbs' hands shaking, though he knew his boss looked ten years older. There had been unguarded moments in which Tony felt Gibbs was open and vulnerable. Now he knew that those moments came nowhere near vulnerable. He stared at the carpet, pretending to not have noticed the tear streak growing down Gibbs' left cheek.

"Soon after, I got in the way of a bomb so I was an invalid for a few months. Never stopped thinking 'bout them. When I returned home, I joined NIS, who had been investigating the murders. Officially it is still a cold case." Tony knew his boss to well for that. There is no way that son of a bitch was still alive. "I couldn't get involved without you knowing, though none of my ex-wives know. Ducky and Jenny don't even know. But you are going to have a daughter. I couldn't honestly be around you two without you knowing. She was the joy of my life and every girl I see I measure up to her standards, subconsciously."

There had been several times in his life when Tony realized how important Gibbs was to him. When he realized that he would lay his life down in a heartbeat for him. The first time was in a sterilized room, pained and barely conscious when Gibbs ordered him, "You will not die." Even in a fever fog he felt the words caressing his ears, providing more comfort than any he had received through the whole ordeal. There were other times when he knew Gibbs to be important to him, but he knew he would lay down his life for the man in these two cases simply because Gibbs gave him a reason to live.

Tony stood from his chair and sat next to the man hunched over with his head in his hands. He placed a light hand on Gibbs' neck and felt the trembling beneath his fingers. The shoulders soon followed, shaking as the man his heart bled for cried at the retelling and reliving of the worst period of his life. Tony curled his arm the rest of the way around the heaving shoulders, drawing closer in the one action he never thought he's be doing—comforting Leroy Jethro Gibbs.


	9. Chapter 9

Tony held Gibbs until the shaking slowed then stopped, but still said nothing. When the older man heaved a heavy sigh, Tony withdrew his arms and scooted a little ways down the couch. The tragic story was still bouncing around his head, but he wasn't sure where they stood now. He sat, still thinking, as Gibbs excused himself and disappeared down the hallway. Moments later, Tony heard the water running. Gibbs returned, his face damp and red and his eyes slightly bloodshot. The two men sat and stood, not looking at each other.

"Do you want to lie down? Or want me to get something to eat or drink?" Tony inquired after a prolonged silence. He could hear in his head an answer, one he didn't really want to hear: _"No, Dinozzo, I want my family back."_

Tony turned to the kitchen to grab something, but a strong hand grabbed his wrist, not letting him leave. Tony turned and lost his breath at the sight of Gibbs' eyes. Even that last time in this apartment, he hadn't seen them more intense. "Tony, I didn't tell you all this for you to feel sorry for me. This wasn't a way of explaining why we have to avoid each other now." A firm yank on the wrist brought Tony stumbling into Gibbs' chest. He looked up, lips parted slightly, into very blue eyes.

Gibbs was looking down into Tony's eyes. He looked so…so… young. Innocent. Open. His eyes dropped from the shining green to the pink lips, parted. As he watched, his tongue darted out to wet his lips. He didn't even have time to think about it before he crushed his lips to Tony's.

Tony was shocked first by the kiss itself and then by the power behind it. He felt like all the emotions pooled up throughout the day or even week were being poured into the kiss. Gibbs slowly released his grip on Tony's wrist and placed his hands flat on Tony's back. Tony, who hadn't realized before how tight Gibbs' grip was, curled his hands into the silver hair at the back of his head. Both men knew that this was what they wanted— someone on his lips, in his mind, worming their way into his heart. For one man, the heart was walled off against an unloving family and a procession of one night stands and lonelier nights. For the other, the heart's defenses had been built up against each of the three wives who sought things from him, but couldn't give what he wanted- a heart to fill the gap in his own.

Eventually their lips parted and Tony took a step back as clinging holds loosened. Tony felt a slight self-satisfaction as he saw Gibbs pant a few breaths. He knew he was probably looking just as affected. But he also knew that he should move a little slower with this relationship than usual. So he turned and walked to the couch. When Gibbs looked at him curiously, Tony patted the seat next to him. When he dropped down and slumped against the back of the couch, Tony scooted a little closer and grabbed the remote to start surfing channels. Gibbs smiled and shook his head.

"Tony, when's the due date?" Tony's head snapped to look at Gibbs. He hadn't even thought of that…

"October 21st. In about three weeks."

"You gonna be there when she delivers?"

"The plan is that in two weeks I'll go up and stay with her. Her mom is staying there too and thankfully she isn't one of those mothers who would insist we get married. We'll work on a name and I'll stay until she delivers and the baby's released. Once Angie recovers, she'll spend most weekends here."

Gibbs could tell Tony was very anxious about his daughter, so he put an arm across his shoulders and they stayed like that, watching the hockey game.

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On Thursday, McGee walked over to Ziva's desk, looking around the room surreptitiously. "Hey Ziva, does Gibbs look really tired today? We were waiting here for Tony to bring the sergeant's wife in and I think he almost dozed off at his desk."

Ziva frowned. "I didn't notice. Maybe he's been working late. Hasn't caught his forty blinks yet."

McGee opened his mouth to correct her when Tony's voice interrupted him. "That's winks, Officer David. And I don't think the boss would appreciate finding you gossiping about him, McGee."

Ziva gave a very unladylike snort and retorted, "Like he's never caught you, Tony. Besides, how exactly does one catch a wink?"

Neither man answered as they wandered back to their desks to resume work. Tony, however, was thinking. Did Gibbs look more tired than usual? Was something wrong? They hadn't really talked since Sunday. Tony wanted to stay professional at work, because that's what Gibbs would want, so he hadn't reached out to touch him any of the moments he wanted to. Even a hand brushing his shoulder would be too much.

"Hey, Dinozzo!" Tony snapped back to work at the sound of his boss's voice.

"Yeah, Boss?"

"Abby's lab." Gibbs spun and walked to the elevators, Tony jogging to keep up. They got on the elevator and Tony glanced at the impassive face next to him. "Tony, why don't you pick up a pizza after work and come on over to my place?" Gibbs tried to stifle the smile that crossed his face as Tony's face lit up.

"Yessir!" he said, with a salute. Gibbs' face was unreadable again as he exited the elevator to Abby's, but Tony's face was still shining.

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Tony approached the door with a pizza balanced on one hand and opened it, knowing it would be unlocked. "Pizza!" he announced to the seemingly empty house.

"Hey," Gibbs said, as he entered from the kitchen. He took the pizza into the dining room and set it on the table. Turning around, he put his arms around Tony's waist and gave him a soft kiss.

"Good, I missed you too," Tony said when Gibbs pulled away. Gibbs laughed and ruffled his hair, turning back to the pizza to grab a slice. They ate in a companionable silence, Gibbs chuckling at the happy little noises Tony made when he ate.

When they finished, Tony turned to the living room to sit down and grab a movie, but Gibbs stopped him. "I need to go get something, why don't you wait down in the basement." Tony raised an eyebrow, but complied. As he usually did when in the basement, he began snooping. Both eyebrows went up as Tony saw the boat was covered by a tarp. He looked around and his eyes eventually rested on a blanket-covered object in the corner. He walked up to it, studying it, and slowly pulled the blanket off.

Before him stood a beautiful crib of red oak. It was sanded to a shine and looked tall and strong. He ran his fingers down a bar and they glided across the wood with nary a catch. On the inside at the head or the foot was carved Dinozzo. "Oh Gibbs…" Tony breathed.

"Yes?" came a quiet, amused voice as strong arms circled him.

"It's perfect; I- " Tony didn't know what to say. When he considered all the work that would have to have been done on this, he realized that Gibbs probably started it not long after he first found out. Even before they kissed, before he had told about Kelly, he had been making this for him. Tony turned in the embrace and, putting his hands on either side of Gibbs' face, showed him how grateful he was.

"It's perfect."


	10. Chapter 10

I'm starting to throw a little more sexual tension in here, hope that's not a problem for anyone.

Oh, and I'd like an answer on this. Why would someone review on the last chapter posted to blast the pairing? It was in the header of the very first chapter, where I also denied the presence of Tony/OC, which said someone thought this story would be. Did they honestly read to the last chapter before realizing it's Tony/Gibbs? And I'm sorry you don't like my choice, so you hit the familiar "Back" button and forget you read this. I've done that many a time and it can work for you too! Now that I've gotten that off my chest (oh how I wanted to rant to you, dear readers), onto the story.

* * *

The team worked long into the weekend on the case before them, the kind of case where all plans are dropped no matter how much they were looked forward to. They finally closed it late Sunday night and the Director practically threw them out of the building. Tony and Gibbs, who had had plans for Sunday, puttered around the office until everyone else had gone home. Then they boarded the elevator together. Gibbs recognized the look of exhaustion in Tony's eyes and said quietly, "Why don't we just sleep it off tonight?"

Tony gave him a cocky but worn out grin and admitted, "You read me like a book, Gibbs."

Gibbs leaned forward so his mouth was just by Tony's ear and he said, "You know, you can call me Jethro, Tony."

Tony swallowed at the intimacy of the request and the intimate way it was requested. He couldn't really pretend other parts of his body weren't listening. "You sure, Gibbs?" He winced as he said it. When he received the silent, but surprisingly gentle slap to the back of his head, he only said "I deserved that." Gibbs smiled and said nothing.

Gibbs, not surprisingly, arrived at his house first. Tony arrived after Gibbs had already begun getting ready for bed, still muttering about people who needed to learn to drive (aka Gibbs). He stopped when he saw Gibbs in flannel pajama pants and without a shirt.

After casting a glance over the Marine torso, "Um…" was his confused query before Gibbs began tugging his shirt off. His ears went red and Gibbs pretended not to notice when he said, "I've got other pajama pants if you want them, Tony."

'Ah. Right. Sleep,' was all that could pass through his brain before another wave of exhaustion hit him. "Boxers are fine for me, thanks."

Gibbs shrugged and said, "Suit yourself. Though that wasn't what you slept in in Cuba."

Tony laughed, slightly embarrassed that he remembered. "Well, it was hot down there. And I learned my lesson."

He followed Gibbs into the bedroom and undressed, simply tossing his pants to join his shirt over a chair until he was wearing his boxers and white undershirt. He crawled under the green comforter and sensible blue sheets and laid on his side until the lights went out and he heard Gibbs slide into the bed behind him. He smiled faintly as an arm draped across his waist and a warm front met his back.

Gibbs whispered into Tony's ears, "I won't make a single move until I know we're both ready, Tony. We'll take this slow."

Tony paused, digesting the words. Again, how like Gibbs to read him like an open book. He whispered, "Okay. Good night, Jethro."

A smile lit up Gibbs' face, hearing his name for the first time on his lover's lips. It had been a long weekend, but this was a very satisfactory end to it.

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No one was surprised that Gibbs was the first one in, but Ziva raised an eyebrow to see that Tony had beaten her. That was because he had to grab the spare clothes he always left in his desk, but she didn't need to know that.

It was a slow day and even those who caught enough sleep the night before could be nodding off over paper work. When the director once walked through the bullpen and noticed this, she told the team to not come in the next day. As said before, it was a slow day.

Gibbs made it alright through the day, having downed enough coffee to keep a narcoleptic alert. He hadn't even slept as much as most of the team, since a good part of the night was spent feeling the rise and fall of Tony's body as he slept and watching his twists and turns. Eventually, however, the extra warmth in his bed had lulled Gibbs to sleep. He was reflecting on this as everyone began packing up and he soon followed suit. Checking his email one more time (the director had eventually gotten fed up with his 'I didn't get the message' excuses), he found an email from Tony: _'My place at 9?'_ It gave Gibbs a good four hours to go home and get cleaned up, so he nodded to Tony who had apparently been watching for a response for a while.

A little over four hours later, Gibbs pulled up to Tony's apartment. He walked inside and rapped on the apartment door a few times. No answer. He knocked again and called "Tony?" He grabbed from his keychain the spare key that Tony had given to him a month or so ago and entered. No one was around. He dialed Tony's number and when he got no response, he sat down to the TV and wondered where he was. After a bit he moved into the bedroom and laid down. He reached into the nightstand drawer for a pen to jot some notes down but his hand hit something unusual. He sat up and looked in and his brows shot up his forehead. Inside were a certain bottle and a certain small box. Somewhere lower down on his body he felt a twitch but ignored it, smiling. He now knew what Tony had invited him over for and he couldn't say he wasn't looking forward to it. But where was he?

As he was shutting the drawer, his phone rang.

"Gibbs."

"Hey. Um…so I got a call from Angie. Her contractions started while she was in the shower maybe two hours ago, so I'm on my way up to her place. I'll call you later to let you know what's going on."

Gibbs could hear the awe in the father-to-be's voice at the phenomenon that was about to occur. "Good luck, Tony. And unless you want to be scarred for life, I suggest avoiding the delivery room." With a nervous chuckle, Tony said his good-bye and hung up.

Gibbs closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillows. There goes the next few years of peace and quiet for getting to know each other better.


	11. Chapter 11

Tony entered the delivery room and found Angie tired, aching, but radiant. A wrinkly little pink face peeked out from the bundle of blankets in her arms. Tony hadn't wanted to stay around for the delivery and was glad Angie took the medicine because she did not look as bad as most TV mothers do.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey back." Her voice creaked a little, but couldn't hide any of the pride in this thing she had brought forth. "Here she is, Tony. My daughter and yours."

"She doesn't look like much," he said as the nurse watching the proceedings snorted. "But I guess she'll grow into the Dinozzo good looks eventually." He took her from Angie's arms and held very still to not wake her. He found it all too difficult to tear his eyes away from his daughter to look at his friend.

"We need a name, you know," she whispered.

He cleared his throat. "I would like to suggest a middle name, if I may. We can compromise on the first name." When she heard his suggestion for the middle name she smiled, remembering hearing of its importance to him. As for the first name, she read a list she had prepared in her head over the last few months. Tony commented on each in turn: "Alexandra—overused. Charlotte—too old fashioned or too 'Sex and the City', whatever. Fiona I rather like. In fact, I think Fiona would be a great name for her."

The two friends and parents smiled at each other and then down at their progeny.

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0600 found Gibbs awake, doing an exercise routine and wincing at the pain in his lower back from an earlier pulled muscle. He hadn't slept much anyway, wondering what was going on with Tony. At 0617, as Gibbs was nursing a cup of coffee, the phone rang and he reached over the pickup.

"Gibbs."

"Hey." Tony's voice was hushed, elated, and reverent. "At exactly 0324, my daughter was born. Seven pounds, four ounces. Angie and I decided to name her Fiona."

"Congratulations, Tony," Gibbs said quietly. "What are you doing now?"

"Oh, I'm just standing outside the nursery. She'll be in for a few days and then I can bring her home."

"How's Angie?"

"She's good. Exhausted and a little sore, but good. Happy. Thank God for modern medicine, eh? I'll be staying at her place, charming her mother, for the rest of my time here."

"The team misses you," Gibbs said, suddenly sounding professional. In this case, however, Tony saw right through it and replied, "I miss the team too."

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A few days later, Gibbs found a message on his phone during work and listened to it during a lull in the work.

"Hey Jethro, it's me. We're—ah—home, so if you want to come over and meet her after work, I'll have dinner waiting."

Gibbs smiled; he was actually looking forward to meeting the little Dinozzo. If he wrapped up work a little earlier than usual, no one said anything and he sped over to Tony's apartment. Once there he knocked softly on the door, chuckling as he heard wailing coming from inside. Poor, poor Tony.

Tony opened the door, looking a little hassled. "Hey Jeth, um…she won't stop crying. What do I do?" After giving Tony a quick kiss he picked up the little red-faced baby in Tony's arms. He began to jiggle her and the cries softened as she looked up at this new person curiously.

"Well, she seems to like you. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, meet Fiona Kate Dinozzo." Gibbs' eyes swung from Fiona to Tony as he heard her name. "Yeah, I figured there wasn't a better person to be named for." The baby still between them, Gibbs leaned over and gave Tony a slightly longer kiss.

"You know she'll be waking up every three hours or so in the night. Probably more often when her diaper gets soiled or just because. You're gonna go crazy being the only person to get up and help her, so I'll stay with you." Tony looked very gratefully at Gibbs, who was currently tickling Fiona, earning a gurgling laugh from her. Tony wondered, what would he do without Jethro?

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Two weeks later Tony wondered again, what he would he do without Jethro. He spent most nights of the week in Tony's bed, getting up in the middle of the night to change or feed Fiona, letting Tony get some more hours of rest. He was wonderful to watch, Tony thought, as he leaned against the doorway to Fiona's room. Gibbs was holding her, eyes closed as he rubbed her back to put her to sleep. Every now and then he would whisper something to hear in a soothing tone and before long she fell asleep. Gibbs laid her in her crib and Tony thought about the two of them. Gibbs had a way with children, there was no doubting that. If Fiona was crying, just a few minutes with Gibbs would have her gurgling and laughing and pulling happily on his hair with her pudgy little fist. Gibbs would simply smile at her, not getting annoyed at all, and remove her grip from his hair. Tony knew now why Gibbs knew so much about childcare. He also knew that sometimes Gibbs would freeze, staring at Fiona or a piece of baby furniture, thinking of Kelly. In times like those, Tony would sidle up and put his arms around his boyfriend and ask how his daughter was, to interrupt the thoughts.

Tony wrinkled his nose at the term "his boyfriend". It made them sound like they were still in high school. He wouldn't say "his lover" either, since they never got around to actually making love. The one night he had wanted to go ahead, he got the call from Angie that had him rushing out the door. Now, he didn't know when they'd have the chance since life was TonyandFiona, not just Tony anymore. And he wouldn't pretend that he wasn't frustrated. His showers, when not cleaning baby spit-up, often left him collapsed against a tiled wall, thinking of Jethro.

But Tony would wait. His thoughts were the same as Gibbs, though neither one knew since they didn't discuss it: when the time was right, they would both know and be ready.


	12. Chapter 12

So I am only one chapter away from this story being finished. Well, one chapter of writing, I think I'll have three more to post after this. And you know I'm building, building, building that sexual tension. As always, open to suggestions.

* * *

It was yet another night of Gibbs sleeping at Tony's place. It had never been discussed, but Gibbs was there almost every night now two weeks later, helping Tony with his daughter. Tony didn't mind in the least bit, especially since he could get up to feed Fiona and then lay back down in a warm bed against a warm body and hard chest that rose and fell in the deep throes of sleep. And unlike in previous years, this person would still be there in the morning and the next night and so on.

This night, Tony stumbled blearily into Fiona's room and changed her soiled diaper, running on autopilot. He hummed and murmured until she fell back asleep and then, with a kiss to her forehead, laid her back in her crib. Her beautiful crib. It was smooth under his hand as he pushed off to lurch back to bed. He stopped at the edge of the bed and stared at Gibbs a little. Brain happy, but still not functioning, he crawled under the covers and, resting a hand on Gibbs' chest, whispered, "Love you."

In the morning, he didn't even remember having said it. Had the thought crossed his mind he would not have denied it easily (though he would certainly have tried), but the thought never came to surface. However, someone was more awake at that time of night so one of them still remembered in the morning and hung onto that sentence.

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The team never failed to give credit to Gibbs for being very stealthy. McGee and Tony, especially, knew the many times he had appeared behind them just as they were speaking about him. But not many of them gave him credit for sneaky little plans, which he hatched now and then. Gibbs hoped it would work as he wandered down to Abby's lab. Tony had actually given him the idea when he dragged himself into NCIS to pick up papers. Unable to be useless, Tony had insisted on still being part of the team. Thus, he picked up a lot of paper work and combed through reports at his apartments. The team would just shake their heads upon seeing whatever task he had been assigned sitting completed on their desk in the morning.

On this day, Tony looked especially worn. Gibbs had had a late meeting with the director the night before and had just gone home. Thus, Tony was the only one taking care of Fiona during the night and in the morning. Upon entering the bullpen, Ziva and McGee took in his unshaved face and the bags under his eyes. They refrained from saying anything, but Abby, who had run up as fast as she could after hearing he was in, sternly told him to go right back home and take a good shower. The neighbor who was watching his daughter, she told him, could certainly manage for another twenty minutes. "Thanks, Abby," he said and with one last hug for her, picked up his assignments and was gone.

Gibbs entered Abby's lab, armed with a Caf-Pow, and received an update on the fingerprint he had her running. It was an open and shut case and with this confirmation of the perp on a Thursday afternoon, they'd be done. "Got any work you want Dinozzo to take care of, Abs?"

"Gibbs!" She looked at him reproachfully. "Did you see him today? He looks like he hasn't washed in days or slept in even longer! I can't believe you keep piling work on him, as if he doesn't have enough to do. I mean, it's Tony and he doesn't want to be useless, but that doesn't mean you can overwork him just because he won't say no. I can't believe you haven't seen it. I can't believe _I_ haven't seen it. Why doesn't he have someone take over for a few days, get Fi off of his hands for enough time for him to catch up on sleeping, eating, and washing. Gibbs! Why haven't we thought of that before? You really should have. I'll watch her! Okay, here's the plan. Ang said she won't be coming over this weekend because she has a job interview." Over a few of the weekend visits, Abby had met Fiona's mother and Tony's friend and the two women hit it off instantly. "So tomorrow afternoon, I'll go over and stay at the apartment with Fiona. You," she emphasized by poking Gibbs in the chest, "will come over too and pack for him. And…you can figure out where to send him to relax. Somewhere not his apartment, though!"

While any man would have been daunted by the finality in her words, Gibbs merely smiled and said, "If you say so."

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Tony felt totally blind-sided the next day when he opened his door and found Abby and Gibbs on his doorstep. Abby was already inside before Tony could even open the door the whole way and Gibbs just shrugged when he looked at him confused. Sensing no help there, Tony walked in the follow Abby, but found it about as easy as following a tornado or some such natural disaster. She whirled through the apartment, picking up diapers, bottles, babies, blankets, toys, or spoons. Tony was looking for an answer bewilderedly but found that Gibbs had disappeared. When Abby finally stopped in the baby's room, she turned, planted her feet, and scolded Tony even as she was quieting Fiona.

"You look awful, Tony, and you need a shower, food, and sleep. So I will be your trusty baby sitter this weekend and Gibbs," who had silently reappeared holding a duffel bag, "is sending you somewhere to become human again."

Gibbs took a seat on the couch, sipping the coffee he had brought in with him, and told Tony, "Give Abby all your instructions and let's get moving." Tony acquiesced, explaining Fiona's meal and nap schedules and where all the necessary baby-care components are stored.

Only after Abby's fervid promises to take the best care of Fiona and to call Tony if anything happens and his quizzing her on things he had told her did Tony finally let Gibbs guide him out to his car. Leaning against the passenger window as Gibbs drove, Tony figured that he was worried about his daughter but could use the respite. He didn't wonder much about where they were going and was not at all surprised when they pulled up to Gibbs' house. Tony flat-out moaned when he opened the door and was greeted with the scents of garlic bread and chicken marsala. While he made a beeline for the table, Gibbs slipped off to drop the duffel in his bedroom and then returned to sit down at the meal. He ate normally, while Tony wolfed down the food as if he'd be called away by a baby's cry at any moment.

When Tony was done, almost licking the plate, Gibbs pulled him up and pushed him in the direction of the bathroom. "Have I ever mentioned you're the best, Jeth?" he said wryly as he closed the door and turned on the hot water. After a long, luxurious, and much needed shower, he toweled off and then tied the towel around his waist as he went to get a change of clothes.

He breathed in the cool air that greeted him from the bedroom as the steam billowed out and in the corner of his eye he saw Gibbs sitting on the bed, reading over something. He also saw when Gibbs noticed his presence and froze. He pretended to not notice even as he felt like preening when Gibbs' eyes raked over his body, analyzing every line and curve visible on his figure. Okay, so maybe he played it up a little. Perhaps he bent a little farther to grab his clothes and maybe he moved a little slower. Tony couldn't say he had ever felt giddy like this before. The women he had been with had never used their eyes to drink in his body before; they only looked enough for a cursory appraisal and a show of interest. Tony had given a little looks like this towards women's figures before but had never had it turned on him.

He made it most way to the door before he finally turned and looked full on at Gibbs. His breath caught when green eyes met blue. Gibbs obviously felt no shame in looking and didn't even bother to hide it. Insisting to himself that he indeed needed sleep before anything, Tony shut himself in the bathroom to change into pajamas. Stepping out of the room, he found Gibbs gone. Venturing into the hallway, he noticed the basement door was open and heard rummaging through the drawers. Tony smiled and retreated back to the bedroom. He pulled back the covers and lay down, sighing as his head met the pillow.

Gibbs climbed the stairs from the basement, his head feeling a little lighter. A good stiff drink was what he needed to cool off after the display in the bedroom. It never bothered him before when they slept together, even if one or both had no shirt on. But something about Tony walking through his room, tan and lean, a simple beige towel riding low on his hips… seeing his muscles moving as he swung his arms and leaned over to grab his clothes…. So Gibbs needed to escape to the basement and drink the urges out of his head. For now.

He lay beside Tony, who was still awake though barely. Gibbs turned his back to Tony, facing the wall, and felt a warm hand skipping over his back. He said quietly, "Love you too, Tony," and decidedly fell asleep. He would deal with the shock he could already sense tomorrow.


	13. Chapter 13

When Tony woke up and found light shining in through the window, he sat upright. How had he slept through the night? Was Fiona okay? Did she need to eat or be changed? He then remembered to breathe and looked around the room. Only then did he remember he was staying at Gibbs' house while Abby was watching Fiona. He breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down, burrowing into the warmth of the covers. He stomach gurgled as his nose picked up the scent of bacon and eggs wafting into the room. Gibbs must be making breakfast. Gibbs…

Tony sighed and flopped onto his back, one arm thrown over his eyes. He was awake to hear what Gibbs said, right? He hadn't dreamed it? Not that he would be dreaming about that…right? No, he had been awake. Because he remembered Gibbs falling asleep, snoring lightly, and Tony had wanted to stay up and figure out what just happened but he was too damn tired.

Jethro had said "Love you too." Tony didn't want to face love. He knew he loved his daughter, obviously, but he didn't let people into his heart that easily, so he preferred to not let it happen at all. Next issue: he said "too". As in "also". As in "you said it first and the feeling is mutual". But he hadn't said it, because he doesn't say it! Tony Dinozzo does not fall in love and that was a fact. And it really wasn't going to do him any good thinking about it in Gibbs' bed. He swung his feet out from under the covers, complaining at the feel of cold air and cold floor, and followed his nose to find Gibbs.

While this inner debate was going on, Gibbs preferred to avoid thought. He simply stood at the stove, waiting for the eggs to be done and for Tony to wake up. But although he had been waiting for the tell-tale footsteps in the hall, he didn't turn when he heard Tony enter the kitchen. He resumed poking at the eggs with the spatula, knowing Tony would get around to speaking at some point.

After a long, awkward silence, Tony finally cracked. "What did you mean last night?"

"Exactly what I meant" was the short and clear as mud response he got from the wooden statue in front of the stove.

"Come on, Jethro, why did you say it? And what did you mean by 'too'? Usually you say 'too' when other person has said it first."

Gibbs did not want to scare Tony off, so he figured moving slowly with this subject would be the best choice. "I won't explain last night to you yet, Tony, so I'll drop the subject and not say it again. I didn't expect to hear it from you, but you should remember that I said it and meant it."

"I—I don't—okay, yeah." With that, Tony went to the coffeepot and poured himself a cup of coffee, fixed with generous amounts of sugar and milk. A few sips made him feel human again and only then did he wrap his arms around Jethro's waist and rest his chin on his shoulder. It was only a small gesture, but Tony recognized and appreciated it immediately as a cheek rested briefly against his.

Early in the afternoon, Tony was dozing against Gibbs' chest when his phone rang. He practically fell off of the couch to get it, causing Gibbs to raise an eyebrow. "It might be Abby… about Fiona…" he said, but when he picked up in the bedroom, it was actually Angie.

"Hey Tony, how's she doing?"

"Hey Ang, I'm actually at Jethro's because Abby took her for the weekend."

"That's nice for you," she said, sounding oddly distracted. "The interview today went really well…. Actually, I got the job."

Tony's face lit up. "Awesome! I knew you'd rock them. Where is the job again?"

Deep breath. "They're in Illinois."

"Ah."

"It's a great job, but I'll be so far away from you guys. I don't know if I'll be able to leave her behind." Her voice started to break. "I mean, I know you'll do a terrific job with her…"

Tony, detecting the tears in her voice, began trying to calm her down. "Shh, Angie. You don't have to give an answer right now, do you? When you come over next, we'll sit and talk about it, okay? It'll all be alright; we'll figure out what to do."

She sniffed a few times and, seeming to recover, said, "Thanks Tony. I always know I can trust you. Hey, not any guy could become my baby-daddy."

He chuckled and then excused himself, saying he wanted to check in with Abby. After hanging up, he dialed Abby's phone and waited.

"Tony!! Hey! Hey Fiona, it's your dad on the phone," he heard her call into the room.

"Hey Abs, how're you doing?"

"Oh, we're doing awesome! We watched _Fantasia_ and went for a ride in the hearse; I hope you don't mind I pulled the car seat out of your car…. So what're you up to?"

Her voice was a little too innocent in that last question. "Nothing, I've just been sleeping. Why?"

"Weeellll, I'm just a little curious as to why GIBBS' shirts are in YOUR closet? Hmm?"

Tony chuckled and once again appreciated Gibbs' impeccable timing as the man in question entered the room and passed through to the bathroom. "I guess for the exact reason you're thinking right now. Kind of. He's been staying over to help me with Fi."

"And…?"

"And yes." He heard Abby squeal and coughed to cover his own laughter as he saw Gibbs settle down on the bed out of the corner of his eye. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to whatever you two are doing. I don't want to find my daughter has crawled out a window or something." Ignoring Abby's protests of her talent with watching infants, he said good-bye and hung up.

He sat on the bed and looked at Gibbs, who was already looking at him, studying each line of laughter in the boyish face. He had heard from the bathroom part of what Tony had been saying to Abby and figured the cat was probably out of the bag on that front. He trusted his forensics girl to be discreet when necessary, however, so he didn't mind.

While studying Tony's face, he noticed color starting to flood his cheeks and the way his eyes seemed to be examining Gibbs' own body. Pressed by this and by the way his own body was begging him, he said roughly, "I took the liberty of packing some other things from your apartment," and nodded toward the duffel bag. Tony looked at him curiously and then knelt at the bag. He dug through the clothes and started peering in pockets. Gibbs' lungs seemed to be laboring as the anticipation rose. And then he saw Tony's muscles freeze. After a few seconds, which seemed like an eternity, his body slowly rotated until the two pairs of eyes met. Gibbs saw how Tony's had darkened and knew the emotion was reflected on his face. "This isn't an order," he said, the side of his mouth twitching. "Say the word and I'll put these away for another day. I want to be sure you're ready."

He admired the graceful movements as Tony rose and placed on the bedside table the box and bottle Gibbs had found in Tony's nightstand the night Fiona was born. Not wanting to leave the burden of decision on Tony's shoulders, Gibbs stood and grasped his upper arms. Looking into his eyes inquiringly, he softly asked, "What do you want?"

"You."

With so little distance between them already, it wasn't long before Gibbs felt Tony's firm, insistent lips upon his own. Returning the kiss with the same fervor, he felt the vibration as Tony moaned into his mouth. He pulled his lips away reluctantly and, with his mouth on the shell of Tony's ear, whispered, "You're sure?" The hands tugging his shirt up and skating across the muscles of his chest were the only answer he needed before he bore his lover down to the cool sheets.


	14. Chapter the Penultimate

I rather wanted to do a parallel with this scene in canon, so here it is. I hope I pulled it off. In other news, interest has been expressed in expanding upon the men's...activities...of the previous chapter. If more people are interested, let me know and I'll see what I can do. And, bad me, at this point I don't have the next (and last) chapter done. I go back to school this week, but I promise you will get the last chapter.

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In the time Tony spent sitting in his car, head on the steering wheel, he could already have gone to the downstairs neighbor's apartment, picked up Fiona, and fed her. He himself could already have had a three course meal. It was too hard to open the door; how could he hold his daughter, who would gurgle and laugh, having just watched a friend die? Granted he hadn't been as close to Paula Cassidy as he'd been to Kate, but at least Kate had been facing the other way when she was shot. Thank heaven for small favors. He had locked eyes with Paula as the wall slid shut and then only dropped his eyes from the space of wall when the building shook. He knew she wouldn't have thought twice about saving the team. He knew she would have felt relieved of the guilt for her two agents' deaths. But her eyes as she knew she was going to die—pleading, scared, resigned. Tony wouldn't be able to wash that look off as he had done with Kate's blood. He could still burn the clothes he had worn, even though they didn't have blood on them this time, but that wouldn't burn out the image. It was supposed to be a simple all-hands-on-deck job, this peace conference.

Tony barely thought as he rammed his car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. He called Mrs. Raeburn and asked her to watch Fiona a little longer. It would have been so much more convenient if this was the week Angie was taking off of work to visit from Illinois. He paid no attention to the matronly woman's assurances that she was a lovely child and could stay as long as necessary. It wasn't even until the car was turned off that he noticed he was at Jethro's house. He got out of the car, a little unsteady on his legs, and shook his head against the ringing in his ears from the blast. And despite the fact that the door was always unlocked, despite the fact that he had a key, despite the fact that Tony always just walked inside, he rang the doorbell. Gibbs opened the door after a bit. Tony could already smell the Johnny Walker on his breath. If Tony had been expecting anything, he would have expected confusion at his staying on the doorstep. But there was no confusion in Gibbs' eyes. A small flicker of sadness in the depths, but the crystal blue gaze was as steady as a windless sea.

Tony could have stepped inside, but he didn't. Standing on Gibbs' porch, he matched the gaze and tried to turn words out of his mouth. He had to work to find them, but the little voice in the back of his mind told him time was running out every day.

"I love you, Jethro."

He found the words. He said nothing else, but stood silent as he watched a breath of air disturb the sea and tenderness wash over a lined face. Gibbs drew Tony inside and wrapped his arms around him, holding tight. Tony kicked the door shut behind him and buried his face into his lover's neck, smelling alcohol and sawdust and everything that made him feel safe. He shut his eyes, drinking in the scent and letting tension flow out as he felt the hand sliding through his hair and down his neck.

"I know." The barest hint of a whisper wafted past his ear and Tony held on tighter. After that, neither moved for a long time. Once Gibbs felt Tony's grip loosen, he dropped his own arms and pulled Tony after him into the basement. Tony almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of recovering here, but he knew when Gibbs' arms were around him and their four hands were guiding a sander over the wood that this was where he needed to be.

Once dusk began to fall, the two men got into Tony's car and drove back to the apartments. Not a word had been spoken after those first two sentences, but Gibbs knew Tony did not want to be alone this night. He waited inside the apartment as Tony collected a sleepy Fiona from Mrs. Raeburn's and had a bottle of milk warmed by the time they got in.

Once Fiona was asleep in her crib and the two men were below the covers in the bedroom, Gibbs drew a finger down Tony's cheek.

"Why 'I know'? Going for the Han Solo statement?"

"One night when she had just been born, you got up, half-asleep, to put her back to bed." Tony always found the deep voice so reassuring. "When you lay back down, you told me you loved me."

"And that's why you said 'too'…" Tony wondered.

"Yeah. I knew you weren't ready to say it so I gave you time. I would have waited even longer…"

"Yeah." Tony saw her eyes again. "You know it wasn't a relationship of pursuing. She was attractive, yes, but I didn't want to get her into bed. There was just some sort of… understanding between us. I never really knew why before and I still don't."

They lay in silence for a time, with Tony's arm thrown across Gibbs' waist. Tony was just starting to drift off when his partner murmured, "You know, when it's time for Fi to have a new room, why don't you make it in my house? Give up the lease on this and make it 'our house'."

"Yes. When the time comes, yes." Tony pressed a promising kiss to Jethro's lips and the ghosts of the day fled as the men slowly began making love into the night.


	15. Chapter the End

Well...it's the end. I am incredibly sorry to be late, but school started up and I really haven't had enough time to sit and write. I hope this chapter wraps everything up. I also hope you have enjoyed the story, because I know I have enjoyed writing it and knowing that you readers appreciate it. If I want to let the men get a little frisky, I'll post it on my profile and will put a link here.

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"DAD! JET! WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP! SCHOOL!"

As a body flung itself on the bed, Tony groaned and rolled over to see Gibbs sit up and catch Fiona. "I knew it would be a bad idea to teach her how to talk," he muttered and swung his legs out from under the blankets and over the side of the bed.

"Come on, you little alarm clock. Better get dressed for your first day of kindergarten. Do you know what you're gonna wear?" The little dark haired girl, still swamped in the too-big NCIS shirt she had begged off of her dad, squealed and struggled out of Gibbs' arms to grab Tony's hand and drag him into her room. Gibbs laughed, something he found himself doing much more often since Tony and his daughter moved into his house. Somewhere around four years after that day, Fiona was starting school. She was a firecracker, no doubt about it. Between the brown hair, the green eyes, and the ebullient personality, it was easy to see she was Tony's. And although Angie came down at least twice a year from Illinois, Gibbs considered himself Fiona's other parent. Not that he ever mentioned that out loud, of course.

He at one point worried about the girl having no female influences, but he barely thought of that now. Her godmother, Abby, was the girl's idol, though both of the men in her life hoped the taste in music and dress would not rub off too much. Fiona loved to hang out in the forensics lab, trying to peer over the tables while Abby taught her how to do tasks around the lab. Abby sometimes brought Fiona down to the morgue, when she knew there weren't any bodies out, and the young girl would sit for hours, transfixed by Ducky's stories. The two girls also would have sleepovers (not in the coffin) and when Fiona went bowling with Abby, the nuns all loved her.

Timmy, as she called her godfather (after he won the battle between him and Tony as to whether his name was Tim or Elf Lord), was very much the uncle who would always find the coolest presents for Christmas and birthdays. Little robots that lit up, walked, and talked and various kids' electronics were scattered around her room. Tony never really cared about the mess, so Gibbs with his spartan Marine way of doing things was the one to always make her clean up. It had been a deal just the other day that if she cleaned her room, they would take her out to buy things for school.

Once Gibbs got dressed and poured himself a bowl of cereal, Tony pushed Fiona in his direction and went to get dressed himself. Fiona tucked into her own bowl of cereal and munched away happily, dressed in a black jumper over a white blouse. Abby had taught her how to do her own hair (since her dads wouldn't be of much help) so a little red bow sat neatly on top of her head. Gibbs knew the girly look would be somewhat spoiled when she put on her little camouflage backpack, which she had insisted on buying in the store.

"Go brush your teeth," Gibbs reminded her as she jumped down from her chair. When she scampered off to the bathroom, he washed their bowls and eventually felt a warm body behind his.

"Morning, Jethro," Tony said, placing a light kiss on Gibbs' lips when he turned his head.

"Good morning, _dad_. Are you ready for your daughter to start school?"

Tony hummed into Gibbs' neck. "I'd rather she didn't. I'd rather we home school her and then we can lock her in a tower when she hits puberty."

Gibbs laughed and stepped away from the sink as Fiona ran back into the room. "Dad, Jet, the bus gets to my stop in…" she checked the little black watch on her wrist "11 minutes. Should we go??"

The two men exchanged a resigned look and helped her into her backpack. Before she darted out the door, Tony stopped her and crouched down to eye level. "Now remember, Fi, not everyone's family is like ours. Most families have just a mom and a dad living together. And some people don't approve of families two men, like us. So if kids say mean things, just ignore them and go play with someone else."

Behind him Gibbs added, "Do that if anyone says _anything_ mean to you. We'll send Ziva after them."

Fiona giggled and hugged her dad around the neck. "I'll be fine, Dad. Most kids just think it's cool that I live with a policeman and a Marine, N-C-I-S." She let go of Tony and walked up to Gibbs, who crouched for her to give him a hug too. "Now come on; we can't be late!"

She held Tony's hand as they walked down the block, Gibbs behind them, all the way to the bus stop.

Once the three reached the bus stop on the corner around the block, Gibbs nodded hello to the other parent waiting and Tony was crouched in front of his daughter, fussing with her backpack and playing I Spy. Fiona kept checking her watch: 8 minutes, 6 and a half, 4…. Once it reached two minutes, she began bouncing on her feet and peering down the road. Tony heard the rumble of the bus before any of the others saw it and his hand tightened around her instinctively.

"Don't worry, daddy, I'll be home soon. Can we have chicken for dinner?"

Tony laughed and said, "Sure, whatever you want. When you get home, ask Jethro very nicely and I'm sure he won't say no."

Gibbs smiled down at the little girl and closed the few steps between them to kiss her on the forehead. "I think you better go to the bus; you don't want to be left behind. And remember what I said about Ziva." Fiona giggled and ran to get on the bus. She stopped, one foot on the stairs, and waved, calling "Bye daddy!" to Tony. Gibbs' heart ached remembering Kelly's first day of school and how she had done the exact same thing and had called the same words. He still missed Shannon and Kelly, but Tony and Fiona had helped him see his first wife and daughter for the good memories rather than dwelling on the bad.

Tony and Gibbs stood shoulder to shoulder and watched the yellow bus pull away. Without words, they watched until they could see it no longer and turned to walk back home. When they entered the house, Gibbs put his arm around Tony's shoulders and squeezed gently. He was rewarded with a small smile, which quickly evolved into a coy look.

"You know, you don't have to be at work for another hour and a half…" Gibbs' face lit up in a laughing grin and he ushered Tony into their bedroom. He knew Tony preferred sex for comfort and he wasn't surprised by the request. That wasn't to say he minded, however…

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An hour later, Gibbs slipped from under the covers and Tony and began to dress. His fingers made quick work of his shirt and his shoes slipped neatly onto his feet. Wallet, gun (from the locked case at the top of the closet), badge, and phone were gathered up and Gibbs was ready for work. He threw a fond look at his lover, gazing up at him still undressed in the bed, and strode over to give him one last kiss before he left. It was long, passionate, loving, and full of promise.

"I love you, Tony. And you have to let them grow up sometime."

Tony said nothing, but kept watching him, eyes bright. Only when Gibbs reached the door did he hear: "Don't forget the chicken".


End file.
